# Exercise Participation Among Physically Active Adults: A Multidimensional Analysis of Demographic, Anthropometric, Personality, and Behavioral Factors

## TL;DR

This study explores how factors like age, BMI, and personality influence exercise habits in adults, suggesting personalized approaches could improve public health outcomes.

## Contribution

The study introduces a multidimensional framework linking demographic, anthropometric, and psychological factors to exercise behavior and identifies distinct behavioral profiles.

## Key findings

- Gender and age significantly predict exercise frequency and duration.
- Higher BMI and weight concerns are linked to health- and appearance-related motives for exercise.
- Cluster analysis revealed three distinct behavioral profiles combining physical, demographic, and psychological traits.

## Abstract

Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue?
Physical activity participation varies across demographic, anthropometric characteristics, and psychological characteristics, shaping how adults engage in active lifestyles.Understanding these differences supports more effective public health strategies to increase population-level activity.

Physical activity participation varies across demographic, anthropometric characteristics, and psychological characteristics, shaping how adults engage in active lifestyles.

Understanding these differences supports more effective public health strategies to increase population-level activity.

Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health?
BMI, weight history, and psychological traits influence exercise modality, duration, and motivational orientation.Identifying these determinants helps explain heterogeneity in physical activity behavior within adult populations.

BMI, weight history, and psychological traits influence exercise modality, duration, and motivational orientation.

Identifying these determinants helps explain heterogeneity in physical activity behavior within adult populations.

Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health?
Tailored physical activity interventions should consider demographic, anthropometric, and psychological profiles to enhance adherence.Behavioral segmentation can guide targeted health promotion programs and support more efficient resource allocation.

Tailored physical activity interventions should consider demographic, anthropometric, and psychological profiles to enhance adherence.

Behavioral segmentation can guide targeted health promotion programs and support more efficient resource allocation.

Regular participation in recreational physical activity is a key determinant of population health, yet behavioral heterogeneity across adults remains insufficiently understood. This study examined how demographic, anthropometric, and psychological characteristics relate to exercise type (H1), weekly frequency (H2), daily duration (H3), motivational regulation (H4), personality-based differences in exercise modality (H5), and multidimensional behavioral clustering (H6) within a large sample of physically active recreationally active adults. A total of 1564 participants (age: M = 33.65, SD = 9.83 years) completed standardized questionnaires assessing physical activity behavior, body mass index, weight history, personality traits (Five-Factor Model), and motivational regulation (BREQ-2). Non-parametric tests, multinomial logistic regression, and cluster analysis were applied. Gender and age consistently predicted exercise frequency and duration (H1–H3), while higher BMI and reported weight problems were strongly associated with health- and appearance-related motives (H4). Personality traits were linked to exercise modality but showed limited associations with motivational regulation (H5), suggesting that activity preferences reflect relatively stable psychological profiles, whereas motives are more context-dependent. Cluster analysis identified three distinct behavioral profiles combining demographic, physical, and psychological attributes (H6), with meaningful differences in exercise modality, duration, and motivational orientation. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the utility of behavioral segmentation in recreational physical activity and highlight the potential of tailored public health strategies that account for demographic, anthropometric, and personality-based differences in engagement patterns.